Becoming Evil
by MomaGee
Summary: This is the story about how Gothel died. Not the child story about how she fell to her death, no. This is the story about how all the good that ever inhabited Gothel died. Because, after all, evil isn't born... Evil is made.
1. Prologue

Hello people and welcome to my fanfic! A few things before you can read it:

First of all I have written this mostly for the background of my roleplaying account mothergothell (if you are curious search me on tumblr!).

Second, this _does not _excuse behavior, it only explains. We all know and agree that what Gothel did to Rapunzel was terrible and should not be forgiven.

Anyways, enjoy!

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><p><strong>Becoming Evil<strong>

_A Fanfic by Cam L._

**Prologue**

Gothel was running, or at least attempting to.

It was late in the night. She could hear the mob behind her, their torches filling the air with a smoke scent. If she looked back, she could see the lights getting closer and closer. Gothel needed to run faster. The forest wouldn't allow her, though. At every step that she took some branch or root would slow her down, making her ankle hurt even more and her face get quite a few scratches. It was almost as if not even the woods wanted Gothel to escape her fate.

She didn't know where she was going. All she knew was that she needed to go as far as possible from the village she was born and lived in for thirteen years of her life. And so, she kept running.

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><p>The week started just like any other: Gothel had woken up early to help her mother, Catharina, with the house choirs while she attended her morning patients. Catharina, unlike most of the women from the fourteenth century, had a job. She was a physician, very well known between the peasants but completely ignored by the nobles. Most of her patients used to say she had a magical touch, that she could heal almost every sickness they had.<p>

That was, of course, before the plague hit the kingdom.

After the Black Death arrived, Catharina's clients only grew. She would later find out, in a terrible way, that such disease was beyond her knowledge. She lost many patients those first years, including Gothel's father, Friedrich.

Gothel couldn't remember much of her old man. She was only six when he died. One of the few things she did remember from her childhood was a tale of a magical flower that could heal every injury and bring years to those who lost. It was Catharina who told her the story, just before her father got sick. He hated that tale – or at least it was what Gothel thought. Friedrich would often enter her room and ask her if she truly believed such blossom existed, concern in his grayish blue eyes. Gothel didn't know back then that what he felt wasn't hate, but fear.

"You're leaving already, dear?" Catharina asked, pulling Gothel out of her reverie. Her black, wavy hair was tied in a bun, like she usually did whenever she was working. Her mother's waves were better behaved and way more beautiful than Gothel's messy curls that she earned from her father.

"Yeah mom."

"Well then, I want you to bring me these herbs." She stepped away from her patient, Thomas, and handed Gothel a list with no more than five names.

She folded the list, put it on her dress' pocket, left her house and closed the door behind her, saying goodbye to both her mother and Thomas, a handsome, red headed, thirty year old man that constantly went to the physician asking her to do a check up, even though everything seemed fine with him. Gothel imagined his true intentions were to spend some time with Catharina. She couldn't judge him. Her mother was a gorgeous widow. Any man would be lucky to have her.

Gothel headed towards the market, a place in which she loved to be. It was where people who had been in far off lands would tell their stories, where royals could be seen amongst commoners and, more importantly, it was right next to the Palace's main gates.

She liked to look through the metal bars, watching the movement in the garden. She often imagined what would be like to live in the castle, with maids and knights, tons of dresses and jewels beyond anyone's dreams. Gothel knew it wasn't going to happen, but she liked to think she was the princess whenever she stared at the Palace.

"Good morning, Madge." She said to the woman behind a stall filled with plants.

"Good morning, Gothel. Do I get you the usual?"

"No, not this time." Gothel picked the list and gave it to the smiley forty year old woman.

"I'll get right to it." Madge said and turned around, searching for the unique herbs her mother had requested this time.

Margery – or, as she preferred to be called, Madge – was quite a unique woman. She was married to a fat and rude swordsman, Bernard. No one could tell why such a sweet person would marry someone like him. She wasn't what most considered beautiful: overweigh, incredibly pale, short and messy blond hair… But for Gothel, Madge still had her charm. For instance, she had the most beautiful smile the girl had ever seen. She also had unbelievably yellow eyes. Most of the people had blue, green, even brown eyes. However, Gothel could never find another person to have Madge's golden hues.

Besides all that, there was also the woman's personality. Madge would always help, no matter who it was, and without charging anything. Bernard did not deserve such woman, and yet they were married. There was a time some villagers said the swordsman used to hit Madge when she arrived home with less than the needed for a good meal. Of course, no one had ever asked her if the rumors were true, but it was clear that she knew what people were talking behind her back.

"There you go, sweetie." Madge handed her a small bag filled with plants Gothel had given up on memorizing.

"Thanks Madge. I'll see you later." She started to turn back home when she was stopped by a tall Palace guard with black hair and dark eyes. Even though he had young and strong features, something about the way he stood, the way he talked and the expression in his eyes said he wasn't like the others. Most of the knights were serious and cruel. Gothel had seen several times, on that same place, many of those men hit peasants without any compassion, and some of them usually laughed at the scenario, taking pleasure on mistreating those who weren't high born. However, the guard that stood right in front of her seemed to be, against all odds, a nice person.

"Excuse me…" He began, kneeling in order to be on the same height as Gothel. "Are you the physician's daughter?"

"I- I…" Gothel was scared but also stunned with the fact that an actual guard stopped to talk to her. And that he had _knelt_ to her. "Hm. Yes. Yes I am, why?" She didn't need to ask him what physician was he talking about, seen that there was only one amongst the peasants.

"The King requires her assistance." The guard said, standing up. Gothel didn't notice how tall he was before. Now that she stopped to think about it, she imagined he should be almost two meters, if not taller.

"The… the King?!" She was surprised that King Rupert had asked for her mother. He'd never paid attention to her, not even once. Not even when he needed a new physician. He just imported another person instead of asking for Catharina. So that was, besides terribly strange and suspicious, incredible.

"Tell her to head to the Palace by dawn. It is a subject that needs to be discussed with urgency. Do you understand me, child?"

"Ye- yes Sir." She bowed to him and was going to run towards her place when a question occurred to her. Gothel spun on her feet and screamed.

"Wait!"

The guard turned around, looking down at her.

"I didn't catch your name."

"Why do you want to know my name?" He asked, clearly confused by her question. No one ever asked a guard his name before. No one of her kind, at least.

"Well… You're the first knight I have ever met." She confessed. "Now, with all due respect Sir, will you tell me your name once and for all?"

The guard smiled before answering her question. "It's Brandon, child. But you can call me Bran."

"Bran…" She smiled at the sound of his name. "Bran, the nice knight."

"What did you say?"

"What? It suits you." A smirk grew on her face.

"You must be joking, child." Bran's smile widened.

"I'm not." Gothel started to slowly walk away from her new friend, but never tuning her back. "And stop calling me child!" She screamed, watching Bran stand still where she left him, his smile only growing. "I'm thirteen already!" And with that, Gothel turned away and ran home to tell her mother the good news.

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><p>She missed Bran. Gothel had only known him for a week, but he was the best friend she ever had. Back into the woods, running through the moonless night, one of the things she wanted the most was to have Bran, the nice knight, there to protect her. But, of course, he and all the other things of her life in that village were gone. Gothel was all alone now.<p>

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><p>By the sunset, both Gothel and her mother went to the Palace's main gates. There they were escorted by two guards who, unlike Bran, weren't at all that friendly. Whenever Gothel asked something none of them would answer. She was starting to dislike the idea of living surrounded by knights.<p>

The two men lead them straight to the throne room, where King Rupert, a rather fat and old man, awaited sitting in the huge chair in the center of the room, his right hand on his head, fingers curled up with his sparse black hair, the crown almost falling.

"You requested me, Your Grace?" Catharina asked, taking a step forward.

"Why, yes, yes. You are Catharina, the peasants' physician, right?" King Rupert rose from the throne and fixed the crown, concern in his tone. Both Gothel and her mother knew very well what that tone meant.

"I would prefer you did not call my clients peasants, Your Grace."

"Of course… I am sorry." He made a gesture with his hands and in the next moment the guards were gone. "Shall we start our business?"

Catharina listened carefully to what the King had to say, not even once changing her expression. His son, the prince, was sick and the royal physician said it seemed to be the Black Death. He said that, since Catharina had more experience with the Black Death scenario, maybe she could cure his first born. When her mother started explaining that the plague was beyond her expertise, the King stopped her mid-sentence.

"But you do know other ways, don't you?"

"Other ways? I don't…" While Catharina had a hard time figuring out what the King meant with that, Gothel took a step forward.

"You mean magic?" She asked, her grayish blue eyes sparkling with hope.

"Oh, hm…" King Rupert seemed confused for a second, as if he had just noticed Gothel's presence. "You can put it that way."

"Magic?" Catharina had her arm around Gothel, already pushing her back. "But… It's forbidden, Your Grace."

"Not if it comes from an object." He smiled. "I've heard you know of a blossom that could cure my son."

"Does he mean the sun flo-" Gothel's mother covered her mouth before she could finish.

"What did your daughter say?"

"It's just a myth, of course, nothing more. I'm afraid we cannot help you. Your Grace." Catharina bowed and was ready to leave when King Rupert made a proposal she couldn't refuse.

"I'll let you use magic." He began, loud and clear. Catharina, who had given him her back, turned around. "If you help me find the flower, you shall be able to use magic on your costumers. You must not tell anyone, of course. And your daughter…" He turned to Gothel, "… she will never have to worry about being hungry ever again."

There was a silence for a moment. Gothel could see in her mother's green hues that her mind was working, trying to find a way out. She didn't know why Catharina was trying to refuse the offer, but it was noticeable that she didn't want to accept.

"All I need to do… is find the flower? Nothing more?"

"Find it and bring it to me, of course." King Rupert raised his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yes… Your Grace." Catharina then shook hands with him and left the castle.

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><p>Just to imagine that all the mess she was in started that day… Just to think it was all King Rupert's fault… Gothel regretted talking too much. She should've said nothing. In fact, she should've listened to Catharina and stayed home. If she had obeyed her mother none of those things would be happening. But Gothel was a stupid child and just had to go see the Palace with her own eyes. A stupid girl with stupid dreams. She'd learnt her lesson now…<p>

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><p>Aaaaaaand cliffhanger. I'm so not sorry for doing a cliffhanger already, but this chapter was mostly to introduce all the other characters none of you ever heard of. Anyways, real action starts on chapter one! Why is she running? Why is she all alone? Where is her mother? And Bran? What did the King do? Just stay tuned to figure it out!<p>

© _Cam L._

_This story can only be posted on other websites with Cam's permission. Gothel and all Tangled characters are owned by Disney. All original characters belong to Cam L._


	2. Chapter One: First Kill

Hola internet! I am back with more Gothel backstory!

I must admit, I wasn't expecting the kind of response from you guys! I'm so happy to see that so many people like my fanfic when it's only on the first chapter! *insert tears of joy here*

DISCLAIMER:

- I have written this mostly for the background of my roleplaying account mothergothell (if you are curious search me on tumblr!).

- This _does not _excuse behavior, it only explains. We all know and agree that what Gothel did to Rapunzel was terrible and should not be forgiven.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Becoming Evil<strong>

_A Fanfic by Cam L._

**Chapter One: First Kill**

The days that followed King Rupert's request were calm, but completely different from what Gothel was used to. It was like she was living another life.

Catharina was out from 5 in the morning until 6 in the afternoon, accompanied by a few selected knights, searching for the magical golden flower. Because of that, Gothel was in charge of her patients. Sure, she knew a thing or two thanks to watching her mother take care of a few people, but she had never really participated. It was completely out of her comfort zone, especially when it came to crafting medications. The thirteen year old had absolutely no idea which plants were meant to cure and which ones were deadly. She would go to Madge's every two hours just to learn the basics, and still she couldn't memorize most of them.

Of course, the blonde always had a smile on her face, even though Gothel would almost always ask the same questions. She didn't even show a sign of disappointment. Madge would just nod her head, giggling at her, and get the respective herbs all over again, making costumers wait and, most likely, losing a lot of them.

Gothel knew that all of her effort would be worth it. After that busy week, she and Catharina wouldn't have to worry about food, and, above all great things that would come from finding the sun flower, they would be authorized to use magic.

She couldn't be more excited about the last bit. Sure, having a stable life would be great, but magic... Magic was something Gothel always dreamt about. Every night, after the last patient had left her house, she'd go to her room and get the fairytales' book Catharina once gave her and reread all the stories, wondering which of those would be true, and which would she be able to copy.

Besides Madge, Gothel tended to visit Bran, the nice knight. He'd always stand on the same place, completely serious, until he laid his eyes on Gothel, and his huge, dorky smile would grow. Usually she'd ask stories about the Palace, and the most absurd things would come out of his mouth. Once, he told her, the King had to poop, but his chamber pot was so full that he sat on his own shit. They'd roll around laughing, losing their breaths.

Other times, Gothel would ask him about serious things, such as the kingdom's money, his job and, most of those times, about the sick Prince. Apparently, it was confirmed that he had the Black Death, even though some symptoms did not fit the disease's. Gothel had hoped that it was something else, given the fact that she thought no one should ever lose those they love to the plague. She knew exactly what King Rupert was going through and, because of that, she empathized with him.

Prince Alexander, according to Bran, hadn't left his room for over a month before the King had asked for her mother, which meant that the boy would most likely die without the flower. Gothel didn't like Rupert's reign, however she didn't want the Prince to die. Maybe, just maybe, he was different. Maybe he'd listen to them if, by any chance, he managed to survive.

Bran also told her about the little Princess. He did not know her name, but he did know that she existed. Most of the people had never seen her before, and according to Bran it was probably because she was also sick. She was like this since her birth and she'd barely leave her chambers, only to eat or visit her mother. The nice knight imagined that King Rupert was ashamed of her, and that was probably why no one in the realm ever heard about the girl after she was born. Most of the people thought that the Queen had lost her child.

Gothel would spend hours and hours talking to Bran, which constantly attracted many judgmental looks from all kinds of people. Peasants would glance at the pair, some finding it entertaining, some finding it weird. The nobles would stare at them, being completely annoyed by the situation. However, none of those were as terrible as the other guards' reactions. They would often give them a hard look of disapproval, whisper things to one another and leave. That was the only thing that would make Bran shut up and go back to his position. Gothel soon realized that he feared the other knights.

On the night of the seventh day of having thy routine, Gothel had all intentions of going home and falling asleep as fast as she could, since she was so exhausted. It wasn't what happened, though.

As she arrived at her place, the same two knights that once escorted her inside the Palace were standing on her porch.

"Good night Sires." She said, too tired to notice why they were there. "If you can't notice, we've already closed." Gothel tried to pass through them, but they had blocked her way to the door.

"You are requested at the palace." Said the one standing on the right. He was rather short (or, well, shorter than the other) but his muscles compensated his lack of height. The man was incredibly buff, his armor clearly too short for his arms.

"You shall follow us immediately." The one standing on the left commanded. He wasn't skinny, but because he was next to the guard on the right his muscles seemed to disappear. He had a common body type, nothing extremely strange. What made him different from the others (and more intimidating) was his face. With eyes completely black and no sign of softness, he could be easily mistaken by a werewolf. He had hair all over, from thick brows and beard to huge sideburns. Gothel feared him the most.

And so, instead of actually getting some rest, she followed the two towards the Palace. Eventually, by overhearing their conversation, she found out their names. The short and buff one was named Kyland, and the tall one was Adolph. Gothel secretly named them Bull and Wolf.

By the time they got to the throne room, Gothel wasn't so tired anymore. She was now frightened, and the scenario only made things worse. King Rupert was once again sitting on the central chair, this time holding a yellow flower, the knights that accompanied her mother on the quest making a circle around the whole area. Catharina could be found at the middle, right in front of the King. She didn't look happy, and neither did Rupert.

Bull grabbed her arm and started to pull her, Gothel only now noticing that she was standing still. All eyes were on her, watching the girl as she was dragged to the center. Bull only stopped when she was next to Catharina. He then let go of her and went back to stand with the other guards.

"Well, we brought your child just as you asked." King Rupert began, staring at her mother. "Can she confirm your statement?"

"Yes, your Grace." Catharina took Gothel's hand and held it tight.

"Okay then." Her mother's confidence seemed to shake his own. "Now, child, if you could, please look at the flower I have in my hands and answer me if this is or not the flower that is supposed to cure my son."

Gothel analyzed the blossom, looking at every single detail she could find. She noticed that this one, unlike the sun flower from the stories, had a green center instead of a purple one. Its color was also a bit lighter than it should be, and the root was slightly brown instead of emerald green.

"This does look like the sun flower…" She said slowly, which made the King's eyes glow for a second. "… but I don't think it is the real one."

Rupert seemed both disappointed and angry. A red headed guard stepped forward, desperation in his tone of voice.

"It is the one, your Highness! It's just like what the witch described! It will save your Prince! Please, believe me. The witch lies! She doesn't want the Prince to heal so that way your reign can end! It is true, my King. I heard her!"

The King seemed satisfied by his words, and turned his head to him.

"Where did you hear her saying thy words, Sir?"

"Well, it wasn't her really, since the witch was always with us." The red headed lowered his voice. "It was her child. I heard her talking to another guard about your son. Who would ever be interested in his health if it wasn't to murder him?"

"Is it true, my dear?" King Rupert was now asking her.

"Yes, your Grace." She admitted. "I've been asking about your son. But it's NOT because of treason. Your Grace, I just wanted to know if he was getting any better."

"SHE LIES!" Wolf screamed with a smirk on his lips. "She's been saying terrible things about you, my Lord. Things that make peasants laugh at your image. Clearly she's been planning to cause a rebellion, my Lord. She and Brandon. HE is the one that is giving the information. It's obvious that they want your throne, my Lord."

"And Brandon would be..?" The King asked.

"The other guard, your Grace." Answered the red headed.

"What?! Bran did nothing! Mom, tell them. Tell them Bran is the nice guy! TELL THEM!"

Catharina didn't move, or say a word. She seemed to be in a trance, not hearing or seeing anything that was happening. She could be a statue.

"Mom?" Gothel shook her mother. "Mom?!" She was worried, and had tears on her eyes. "MOM DO SOMETHING PLEASE!" It was only when she started sobbing that Catharina woke up.

"I lied, your Grace." Her mother said. "This is the sun flower. I can see it now. If you allow me, I shall go to your son's room by the sunset and cure him, just as you wished."

Gothel didn't understand a thing. The blossom was clearly not the sun flower! What was her mother doing, lying to a King?

"Well, good thing that you've admitted your mistake, dear." King Rupert had a huge smile. "But, because you lied to me, I will not give you what I promised nor you will be allowed to use magic. In fact, you should be glad that I'm not banishing you and allowing your family to stay."

"Yes, your Grace. Thank you. Now, if you don't mind, both me and my daughter must go home to rest."

"Yes, yes, go on. But remember that if you don't show up tomorrow..."

"I will be dead. I know." Catharina bowed and took Gothel on her arms, carrying her away to their house.

She tucked her in, giving a slight kiss on her forehead before Gothel was brave enough to ask her something that she had in mind since they left the Palace.

"Mom, why did you lie to the King?"

Catharina sighed. "Sometimes, a King's truth is a lie. Now sleep, dear."

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><p>Gothel woke up in the morning with loud screams.<p>

She got up from her bed and looked outside her window. Because her house was located on the top of a hill, she could barely see what was all that about. All that Gothel saw was a huge crowd on the center of the market.

She dressed up quickly and ran downhill towards the mass, not even eating her breakfast and forgetting to lock the door.

As Gothel arrived, the situation began to clarify. It was obvious what was happening, even though she had only seen something like that one time, and she didn't remember much of it. Someone was being hanged.

She took advantage of her thirteen year old height and passed under people's legs just to get to the center. Gothel regretted to do so, since the person that was in the gallows was her nice knight, Bran.

"No." She whispered, already feeling the tears stream down. Apparently Bran heard her, because he looked down and gave her a soft smile, his eyes showing how sad he actually was.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed, realizing that he already knew it was because of her that he was there, waiting to die. As the royal executioner read the sentence, Gothel started to feel sick. She wanted to run, but how could she leave Bran? No, she'd stay until the very end.

Gothel was the only one crying, her sobs loud enough for the whole square to hear. She felt a hand on her shoulder and, when she looked back, she saw Madge. Gothel hugged the blonde, not letting go until the merchant whispered in her ear that it was all over. She looked at her old friend, now a corpse hanging with a rope around his neck. She asked Magde to put her up the platform, and so the woman did without asking any questions. Gothel looked up at Bran, tears still falling down. She grabbed his cold hand and then gave him one last hug.

"Come on now, sweetie. The hangman can come back at any moment." Madge said, pulling Gothel by the hand. She said goodbye to her friend and went home with the blonde.

"You want me to stay?" Madge asked after they arrived. She shook her head and closed the door on the woman's face, knowing that she would understand. Gothel just wanted to be left alone for the whole day.

Of course, that didn't happen.

Near the end of the sunset, her mother returned from the Palace, heavy breathing. Gothel wiped away her mourning tears and got up from the chair she was sitting.

"Is everything okay mom?"

Catharina was running around the house, packing more food than what she ever did before. She went to Gothel's room and then hers, gave Gothel the backpack and knelt down. By the time she spoke, the girl knew it couldn't be good news.

"Run, run and don't look back. I'll be fine, sweetheart. Just go as far as you can from here and I will find you."

Gothel had so many questions to her, but a knock on the door made her go to the back's entrance. She ran away to the top of the hill as fast as she could, trying her best not to leave clues to where she was. However, she disobeyed her mother and looked back to her place, watching the whole scene.

From what she could see, Bull and Wolf were back and they weren't happy. Gothel couldn't hear a thing from their conversation with her mother, only one thing that Bull screamed:

"YOU KILLED THE PRINCE!"

By that time, a mob was already gathering around her house, torches being lit. They began to chant:

"WITCH WITCH WITCH WITCH…"

She watched as her mother, her only family, tried to escape the royal executioner's hands, but being held back by Wolf and Bull. She screamed something in a language Gothel couldn't understand, but it made the chant _grow_ stronger, many townspeople stepping back, others running away and mad ones stepping forward. And then, out of nowhere, someone had thrown a torch on the woman. Gothel screamed of horror as she watched Catharina burn, the flames spreading to their house. Her cry revealed her location, making both Bull and Wolf, amongst other guards and a few townsmen look at her.

The chase started, torches being lit while the night sky went darker, death threats being thrown at her as more people joined the guards. Gothel didn't know what to do but run. She didn't even know where she was heading, she just ran the fastest she could.

She entered the dark forest, leaving her village forever. Gothel turned around in order to see if she was still being chased by the angry men. She could see some torches in the distance, and they were just getting closer - so her legs began to move once more.

After some time there was no light, bringing her an advantage and a disadvantage. The good thing was that people could only see her if she was under their light. The bad thing was, as she sped up, Gothel didn't see a root and fell down, twisting her ankle. The pain was absurd, but she had to keep moving. She got up, limping as she tried to run again.

She looked back one more time, noticing that the number of torches had lowered. However, when she looked back forward she saw a black silhouette.

"Found you, you little brat." It was Bull's voice. He grabbed her neck and lifted Gothel from the floor. She was dead, she knew it. She could feel his hands tightening on her. But, when she felt her life escaping, the moon shined on the man. Bull looked up, not understanding what was happening. Gothel saw the dagger hidden inside his coat and, by the time he looked back at her she already had it. She stabbed him in the chest, making him drop her as he fell to the ground. She kept stabbing him one, two, three… ten times, crying like a mad woman.

Gothel would've kept doing it if Wolf hadn't arrived, looking at the scene in front of him.

"You killed Kyland…" He began, incredulous. Wolf knelt down and Gothel started to walk away, pulling her cloak up. "YOU KILLED KYLAND! YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT YOU BITCH!" Gothel was already far away, half running, half limping to her freedom. Apparently Wolf didn't run behind her because, when the sun rose on the horizon, she could tell that no one was following her anymore. She was alive, and all alone.

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><p>I gotta admit I felt like George RR Martin on this chapter. Jebus. Also, if you're wondering, yes I was more sad with Bran's death than with Catharina's. He was my baby ;-;.<p>

I'll probably post a chapter next month, but if I manage to post earlier I promise I will.

How will Gothel survive? Is wolf ever getting his vengeance? Is Gothel going to kick some ass now that she killed her first man?

Also, a little curiosity: Kyland means Bull and Adolph means Wolf. Both are German names.

© _Cam L._

_This story can only be posted on other websites with Cam's permission. Gothel and all Tangled characters are owned by Disney. All original characters belong to Cam L._


	3. Chapter Two: Wanderer

Look who's baaack! Okay, a small thing first: I'm sorry I took so long and I'm sorry this is a small chapter. But I wrote two in one. At first this one was going to have almost 5000 words, but then I looked at half of it and noticed how they didn't fit. So to sum things up this is just a small chapter preparing you for one big climax. Anyways, let's move on.

DISCLAIMER:

- I have written this mostly for the background of my roleplaying account mothergothell (if you are curious search me on tumblr!).

- This _does not _excuse behavior, it only explains. We all know and agree that what Gothel did to Rapunzel was terrible and should not be forgiven.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Becoming Evil<strong>

_A Fanfic by Cam L._

**Chapter Two: Wanderer**

She'd made it! She'd survived that horrible night! With the sun's light shining on the horizon, Gothel made her way out of the thick part of the forest, her ankle finally beginning to hurt. She knew that if, for some reason, she needed to run, she wouldn't be able to. Gothel tried to remember what exactly happened before, signs she hadn't interpreted very well. As she limped towards a clearing, quick flashes of memories began to come up. They weren't exactly in order, nor were all from the same night. Her home's hill during the summer. Her father, always worried, practically never happy. Bran's laugh while they told jokes to one another. Her mother singing a song in a weird language, sitting right next to her as they watched the sunset behind the Palace, flowers blooming around them. The throne room. Madge smiling at her. The sun's light going brighter and brighter as Catharina sang. Wolf's face. Bran's death. Her mother speaking in that same language, now surrounded by torches and screams of angry men. The moon suddenly shining over Gothel as she was held by Bull.

She felt as if her head was spinning, the flashes getting quicker every second, the ones she'd do everything to forget repeating themselves. Bran's corpse, cold and flaccid. Her father getting sicker as time went by. The flames on her house. Her mother sobbing as she mumbled _Friedrich_ on her father's dead body. Wolf smirking as he sentenced her friend to death. Catharina on fire. Gothel's hands flew to her head and she closed her eyes, never actually stopping her feet from moving.

"Stop." She muttered under her breath. "Please..." She saw everything all over again. "Please…" Tears came up to her eyes. "Please…" She was sobbing now. There were too many thoughts, too many deaths. And all of that because of her. That was all her fault. "STOP IT!"

Gothel fell to her knees, tears streaming down, the bag Catharina gave her before the chase falling from her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so… so… sorry." She said that to her mother, to Bran, to Madge, to the little prince that was dead because Catharina gave him the wrong flower. She kept crying there for hours, not being physically or mentally able to get up and look around. She had no idea where she was, and, honestly, she couldn't care less at that moment. All Gothel wanted was to go back in time and tell her mom to never accept King Rupert's offer.

The sun was almost at its peak when she decided it was time to do something. The thirteen year old wiped her tears away and, sniffing a little, looked up to figure out where that whole chase lead her. At first, it appeared to be a normal clearing, created by nature. However, Gothel had spent too much time around plants to know that those weren't naturally short. Someone must've cut them. That meant there was a person, or maybe even a town nearby!

The sudden joy of knowing she was not alone fueled her and gave her strength to get up and start moving again. She rushed to get her bag from the floor. The girl thought that if she was able to find a house, she would have food, a bed, water… She pushed away her terrible memories to focus on finding another hint of human interaction. Unfortunately, since she couldn't run, Gothel only found the small cabin near the beginning of the night.

She hid behind a tree to make sure the place was safe before doing anything. The windows were closed, however a bit of light could be seen coming from inside. _Fire_, Gothel thought, only then noticing how cold it was. She had no idea if the person inside would help her, but she had to try. She put her hand inside the left sleeve of her dress where she'd kept Bull's knife, took a deep breath and started to walk. Gothel knocked on the door, expecting anyone but the person who opened it. She was an old lady, probably on her seventies or eighties. Her hair was completely white and messy, her eyes as dark as the night sky and her skin so pale it made her look like she was sick.

"Who is it?" The woman screamed, not noticing Gothel was just a bit down below from where she was looking at.

"Excuse me…" She began, poking the other so she'd look down. "Could you please help me?"

The stranger seemed surprised by her touch, and almost shut the door on her face. She'd have done it if it weren't for Gothel's foot. She examined her, an expression of disgust on her face.

"I don't help homeless people." Again, the door began to close and one more time she'd stopped it.

"Please, I can help." Gothel pushed the wooden object back. "I can cook, clean… I'll sleep outside. All I ask is some food and water."

She hoped to have convinced the old lady. After a long silence, she let the girl in. Gothel was so happy she'd get a bit of comfort she almost didn't listen to what came next.

"I'll give you food and water, but that's it. Then off you go." All of Gothel's happiness lowered. That meant no fire, no sleeping… Not even a second to breathe.

A while before preparing herself to leave, she'd eaten an old, hard bread, drank a glass of water and went to clean herself. Gothel had no idea how much damage the past night had done to her until the moment she washed all the dirt out of her body. She'd got quite a few scratches and bruises, some worse than the others. Her foot was also a mess. It was at least three times bigger than its regular size. The girl wondered how in the world she managed to run all that way with her foot like that.

Out of nowhere, the old lady appeared behind her when she was putting her clothes on. Once again, she stared at Gothel as if she was analyzing the whole situation.

"You can't walk like this." She said, gesturing to the swelling. "Here, let me help."

She left for a moment and when she came back she'd brought a stick and an old shirt. The lady ripped off the fabric and, while holding the stick on one side of Gothel's ankle, wrapped it around a part of her leg, finishing everything with a small knot.

"I thought you said you wouldn't allow me to stay." The thirteen year old mumbled. She had absolutely no idea why all of the sudden she was being nice, but she was grateful for that.

"I couldn't let you go this way. It's too cruel." She got herself up fast enough for an old woman and carried on speaking. "You can stay in this room until your foot heals, but that's it. As soon as I notice you can walk again, you'll be leaving by sunrise and I hope to never see you again." She threw Gothel's bag on the small bed. "You said you can clean and cook. Well, tomorrow you begin your work." The woman left and shut the door behind her.

Before she tucked herself in, Gothel rushed to get her bag and see what her mother had packed for her. She opened it and there was another (smaller and thinner) dress, a few herbs, a note and the one that caught her attention faster than the others: her fairytales book.

Gothel took it out and stared at it. She felt so happy to see that a bit of magic had survived she almost forgot about the note. The girl grabbed the thin piece of paper and, with her hands shaking, opened it up. There, it was written:

_My dear Gothel, _

_I'm sorry for everything you probably went through today. If you're reading this, then you found a safe place to stay. There are a few things I haven't told you, but I promise that when the time is right life will reveal the answers to all your unanswered questions. _

_You were right, my dear. The flower I gave the King wasn't the right one. But, if I hadn't confirmed the story, he might've killed me and you right there. Please, forgive me for ruining your dream. I know you always wanted to learn magic but, sometimes, our dreams are never meant to come true._

_With that said I beg you to not give up on fairytales. There's many truths in them. More than you could ever imagine. _

_Forgive me, dear. I love you very much._

_Your mother, _

_Cat._

Below was a list with the names and the uses of all the herbs that were inside the bag.

Gothel didn't feel sad. She felt angry. She expected her mother to explain everything. Why everyone was calling her a witch? What was that language? Why she decided to kill the prince instead of running away with her? She was so furious she ripped the letter apart. If her mother hid things from her for thirteen years, how could she know Catharina actually loved her?

She got up from the bed, the rests of the letter falling down as she carried the book towards a corner of the room. There, she searched for a loose board and broke it just enough to bury her childhood. Gothel promised herself she'd forget everything from her past and start a new life from that moment on.

* * *

><p>Sucky, I know. But please I'm promising you guys that next one will be hella exciting and nerve wracking. So pleeeease stay tuned! Someone we know from previous chapters is coming back! Leave your guesses! Also, thank you so much for the good reviews! They make my day!<p>

© _Cam L._

_This story can only be posted on other websites with Cam's permission. Gothel and all Tangled characters are owned by Disney. All original characters belong to Cam L._


	4. Chapter Three: Betrayed

I'm back sooner than you'll ever see me! (Seriously though don't expect me to publish stuff that fast. Keep the one month parameter so y'all don't hate me).

Also, I don't know if you noticed, but I changed the story's rating from T to M because of this particular chapter, and probably many more to come. If you still want to keep on reading, you'll see the ***** **before the part that made me raise up the rating.

On the same ***** **there's a trigger warning to those who need. Since I don't want to make anyone have a breakdown I decided to put it.

TRIGGER WARNING:

- Rape.

DISCLAIMER:

- I have written this mostly for the background of my roleplaying account mothergothell (if you are curious search me on tumblr!).

- This _does not _excuse behavior, it only explains. We all know and agree that what Gothel did to Rapunzel was terrible and should not be forgiven.

* * *

><p><strong>Becoming Evil<strong>

_A Fanfic by Cam L._

**Chapter Three: Betrayed**

The sun shined on her face, waking Gothel. She looked up, staring at the cracks in the old musty ceiling. Whenever she laid on her bed like that, counting the new cracks, she constantly asked herself why she stayed there. It had been two years since the incident with the prince - she was now fifteen years old. In theory, she could do whatever pleased her, go wherever she wanted to. The thing was, she had nowhere to go.

She opened the dusty wardrobe, took one of the clothes Madam Weber so reluctantly gave her when her own clothes stopped fitting and got out to the kitchen, where the same old woman from two years ago awaited.

"You're late." Ruth Weber said, tapping her long fingernails on the table.

"The sun is starting to rise later, Madam." She replied, going towards the oven in order to make breakfast for both her and the owner of the place. "It's you that is early." She smirked as she heated the tea.

"Well, then… Wake up earlier! If I wasn't so old you'd be out in the streets already."

Gothel didn't particularly like Madam Weber. Sure, she took her in times of need, and she was forever grateful to that. But the old woman treated her like garbage. Looking back, she imagined Ruth only allowed her to stay because it took around a month for her foot to heal, and by that time she was already used to having a maid.

"Yes, Madam, I know." She mumbled and poured the tea on the cup, handing it to the black eyed woman. Ruth drank her tea as fast as it was humanly possible and got up.

"Get my cloak." Even though Gothel didn't need the order to do so, she awaited. The girl knew how the Madam didn't like her doing things before she told her. She was used to the routine there by now. She paced up to get the cape, leaving her own food on the fire, probably burning a bread or two. "And, another thing." Madam Weber continued as Gothel came back with the clothing item, raising a folded paper. "Since you seem to know so much about plants, go to the town and get these for me."

"Yes, Madam." She took the list from her hand and opened it up, quickly starting to read it. Why so many and what would the woman do with them, she had no idea. In fact, the only thing she knew about Madam Ruth Weber was her name and the fact that she loved tea. Gothel didn't know why she was always leaving so early in the morning and why she came back so late at night. For someone in their eighties, she did have a lot of energy.

Gothel couldn't say she tried to learn more about her savior from many years before. Within the two years they lived together, the first thing she learnt on that place was that she should never ask many questions. The white haired lady still scared her, however now she knew what to do to not anger her.

She waited for Ruth to leave and started to get ready, swallowing her breakfast and running upstairs. Gothel almost never left that cabin, and when she did she liked to look like a normal person, not some… homeless girl. She got one of the Madam's best dresses she found tossed in the old closet and put on the grey cloak she loved. She couldn't avoid a glimpse to the corner where she hid her fairytales book, since that cloak had belonged to her mother. She shook her head, trying to forget that. Catharina was dead. And so was her past.

After dressing up, Gothel could actually say she looked like a rather rich woman. She felt powerful, so that helped. The fifteen year old got the list, the money, her bag and left that place, going on the two hour walk towards the town.

Just like when she was a kid, Gothel still loved the market place for the same old reasons, but this time it had something more. During one of her first trips there, she ended up meeting someone. His name was Felix. He didn't seem rich, though he wasn't poor. He dressed like a lord of some kind, but still went outside to buy his own things. Gothel hated to admit that, since it made her look stupid, but she liked him at first sight. He was kind, sweet, handsome… All qualities a prince would have. He was three years older than her, however that didn't stop them.

After a year of talking, and meeting, and sneaking out from Madam Weber's place, they ended up falling in love. And that love made her want to believe in magic again, making the desire to get her old book back grow. Gothel constantly caught herself thinking about far away places, and travels right beside him. But then her memories came back, making her remember why she stayed there.

Unlike what she expected, her memories didn't stop haunting her. In fact, they only got stronger each day, like a warning, screaming for her that something was going to happen. Something as bad as what she saw two years ago.

As Gothel arrived the small town, she thought she saw a familiar face. One she'd never forget. One that had been on the back of her mind since the first day they met. The girl figured it was just another daydream, another walking nightmare. And so, she carried on with her obligations.

She bought the plants Madam Weber had instructed her to and hid them inside her bag. If she was a rich woman, she couldn't be seen buying things. After all, wealthy people had maids to do their job. She liked to pretend she went to the market to see the peasants and hear their stories. No one, not even her love Felix, knew about the fact that she was broke and living as a servant in a creepy old woman's house.

Gothel had just finished tucking all her purchases when a hand covered her eyes.

"Hmm, I wonder who this is." Her hands flew up to the person's belly, tickling him until he gave up.

"Okay, okay, you win!" He couldn't stop laughing. "Hello, Lady Gothel." Felix said. His voice sounded like silk to her ears.

"Well, hello Sir Felix." She smirked a little, having fun with his nickname. Felix dreamt of being a knight, and so Sir became his title between the two of them.

"What brings you to the market place this time, my Lady?"

"Oh, just a knight with blond locks in his head."

"Why, my Lady, that would be me." He bowed a little, and after a giggle they started to walk.

And so they spent the rest of the day talking. They talked about dreams, parents, prices… Anything at all. The couple was laying on the grass, looking at the clouds above starting to get darker.

"There's a storm coming." She commented.

"Gothel…" Felix turned to face her. "If I asked you to run away with me, would you?"

Her mind started spinning, ending up with her desire of exploring the world with him. She opened up a huge smile, but she didn't say yes right away.

"Where would we go, Felix?" She gazed into his green eyes. "My whole life is here."

"I know, I know. But you always say how you want to see the world with your own eyes, and not through someone else's tale. Don't you want that?"

"Yeah, I do, but-"

"Then no buts. Let's go. Tonight!" He practically got up of excitement. "We'll bring a bit of money, I'm sure that won't be a problem for you. And then we go. Please, Gothel, what do you have to lose?"

She was about to argue with him, however that last question got her. What did she have to lose? A home? That wasn't hers for starters. A friend? Her only friend there was Felix, and if he was going, then she had no one left! The Madam was just her master, nothing more. She wasn't even nice to her!

Gothel shook her head, slightly.

"Is that a yes?" Felix's eyes shined.

"Yes, you fool." Her smile only grew while he lift her up and spun her around.

"Then, we leave at midnight tonight."

"No!" She stopped him before he could say anything else. "My—my mother is at home at midnight, and she has a very light sleep." Her mother, of course. She couldn't tell him it was her Madam. He could simply leave her after he found out the truth. "We'll leave tomorrow, when she goes out harvesting."

Felix had lost his excitement for a while, but after she said they'd still leave his face lightened up again.

"Okay. Tomorrow then." He gave her a peck on the lips and ran towards his home.

It felt weird, to be in love. She couldn't avoid being a little suspicious, especially after what she'd been through. Even though she knew Felix for more than a year, she still had that small worry he'd betray her. Gothel ignored that thought. It was finally working out for her, of course nothing would go wrong. How could something worse than what already happened take place in her life?

Arriving at the cabin faster than usual, she left the herbs and the list on the dinner table and ran upstairs to Madam Weber's room. She'd never been there, and she didn't know what to expect. All she knew was that she must've kept her money and jewelry in there all that time. And that was exactly what Gothel was after. Sure, she felt a little bad for robbing the woman who saved her, but she also had to admit it was a crime worth committing. With that money, both Felix and her could live the adventurous and happy life they always dreamt with.

Gothel entered the dark room, her mouth open. It was creepier than what she could've ever imagined. There were tons of cauldrons piling up on one side of the bed, the fireplace still burning with a slightly green flame. To the other side, at least one hundred books could be counted on the shelf. Everything was surrounded by dust and mold. She looked behind her, to the spot next to the door. There was a box over a small table, unlocked. Gothel opened it and found herself staring at a sea of gold and coins. She took it and left the weird bedroom, never stopping to ask herself what she'd just saw.

The fifteen opened her bag and put the small box inside, turning when she heard the door opening.

"How was your day, Madam?" She asked, going forward. "I brought you your herbs."

All that Ruth Weber did was throw her things to the floor and go upstairs. Gothel got down on her knees to take them when she saw a wanted poster amongst her stuff. She grabbed it and saw a reflection of herself. It said:

_WANTED_

_Dead or Alive_

_Gothel_

_WITCH. MURDERER._

She began to freak out. Her past was finally coming back to ruin everything she had, just like her memories have been warning her for all that time. Gothel threw the poster away, put her cloak back on, got her things and started to run. How did they find her? Who did that? The King obviously hadn't thought of all that by himself. One of the guards must have made him do it. She had a slight idea of who it was: the same face she had recognized on the streets earlier that day. Still she refused to believe. Two whole years have passed. What else did they want from her?

It wasn't even close to midnight, but Gothel ran towards Felix's house. They had to leave at that instant or else she'd be captured. Or worse, dead.

She got there two hours after finding out about the poster. Gothel knocked on the door, practically screaming his name.

"Felix! Felix! Felix open up!" She slammed her fist until it hurt. "FELIX!"

Her love opened a few minutes after that last scream. She forgot the etiquette and kissed him like she would never see him again. Gothel had no idea when the tears started, all she cared about was him.

Felix pushed her away. "What was all of that for?" He asked. "Not that I'm complaining, but, why?"

"Felix we have to go. We have to go now. My—my—my father found out about our secret." She hugged him as tight as she could. "He's after us, Felix."

It took him a moment to start moving. "Give me a second to gather my things and we shall leave."

He closed the door and led her to the closest chair before running to his room. Gothel stared at the window, watching the small drops of rain begin to fall. She imagined it was appropriate, to have a terrible weather during a terrible situation.

"Felix? Are you alright?" She asked after a long time of looking at the rain. It was now stronger.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am." He answered, closing his coat on his way to the front door. She got up and followed him, waving a farewell to another life she was ready to forget. "I was just saying goodbye to my place."

The couple left town, going straight to the woods. The rain was getting heavier at every mile. They were running incredibly fast, until Felix stopped out of nowhere.

"What are you doing?" Gothel was confused.

"Your father is really following us?"

"What?! Of course he is!" She knew her lie was weak, but she decided to stay with the story.

"Then why haven't you looked behind you?"

"Because… because I trust you."

"Well… you shouldn't." A familiar voice spoke from behind her. She turned around and saw the hairy face that had been haunting her since ever.

"Wolf." Gothel whispered, fear making her feet numb. She knew she couldn't run this time. He'd get her no matter what.

"Is that how you call me behind me back?" He laughed, his pointy teeth showing through his beard.

She turned her face back to Felix, who was now holding the wanted poster she had seen earlier.

"You're a witch, huh? I wonder why you never told me that." He threw the paper on the ground, mud embracing the thing as soon as it hit.

"I—I can explain! I haven't murdered anyone!"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't care." His eyes flew up to Wolf. "Where's my payment?" Felix inquired. Gothel stared at him, looking right on his eyes, hoping she'd see the person she fell for. There was nothing.

She felt a strong pull, followed by her bag flying through the air and ending up on his hands.

"How could you?"

"Oh, dear, you really think I would run away with you? I just wanted this." He raised his hand, which now had the box she stole. "You can keep the rest." He threw her bag on the ground. "She's all yours, my friend." And then he was gone. The one she let in. The one that, after a long time, she allowed herself to love. Gothel felt like throwing up, but Wolf was faster than her.

He grabbed her arm and tossed her on the mud, holding her wrists so she couldn't get up. Gothel fell down, never noticing what was really about to happen.

"You got me. Take me to your King. Get your revenge." She said, no emotion on her voice.

Wolf laughed loudly this time. "You think this is King Rupert's doing? Hate to break it to you, girl, but he's dead."

She didn't know how to react to that. Was she happy? Sad? Angry? She felt nothing other than fear.

"But—but the poster…"

"Are you that stupid, girl? This is all for Kyland. You killed him, and now I'm going to make you pay."

"Go on then. Kill me." Tears streamed down as Gothel slowly accepted the fact that she was going to die that night. What else could Wolf want from her?

"No, girl. Not like this. I want you to fight." His grip on her wrists was stronger now. "And if you don't want to fight, then I'll at least have a little fun out of this."

***** **One of his hands let hers go and went to his pants. She had given up already, so she imagined he'd get a dagger or something like it to do the job. Instead, he lowered his trousers and lifted the bottom part of her dress. It was too late when she realized what was going on.

"No! No! NO! LET ME GO! NO! PLEASE NO!"

At first she fought, trying to get out of his grip. After a time, though, she gave up. All Gothel could hear was the rain drops. The rain and the sound of his heavy breathing. She stared at the cloudy night sky. Stared until she'd swear she could see a pattern in the small, fading stars behind the rain clouds. Until she couldn't feel his violation, him thrusting himself so far inside that she could no longer fit. Gothel had no idea how long it took, how long she laid there in silence, looking for meaning in the fading stars.

It was out, in, then over. He left her laying there, probably thinking she was already dead. Paralyzed in her own disbelief, she thought to herself why Wolf did that when he could have just killed her?

* * *

><p>"<em>This is why he's here!<em>  
><em>Don't let him deceive you!<em>  
><em>Give it to him, watch, you'll see!<em>

__Trust me, my dear_  
><em>That's how fast he'll leave you<em>  
><em>I won't say I told you so<em>  
><em>No, Rapunzel knows best!<em>  
><em>So if he's such a dreamboat<em>  
><em>Go ahead and put him to the test!"<em>_

Aka I based all of his betrayal on this part of Mother Knows Best (Reprise).

I hope you guys liked, and I'm sorry to making something darker. But it's supposed to get darker and darker cos she's a bad guy. So don't expect a happy ending.

Stay tuned and please, leave a review. It makes my self esteem and desire to write bigger, plus I could use some critics to get better.

© _Cam L._

_This story can only be posted on other websites with Cam's permission. Gothel and all Tangled characters are owned by Disney. All original characters belong to Cam L._


	5. Chapter Four: The Debt

Hey everybody! I warned you all that I was going to take a fucking long time writing this. Again I split the original chapter into two, just so I could write more details without it getting too tiring (besides, I really love cliffhangers). After the next chapter though, I'll probably do a time jump. Like, a huge one. We see how she can't trust anyone ever again with these two, and after that we'll see how she got manipulative and, in the end, plain evil. I hope you do enjoy this one, even if it's not my favorite chapter.

DISCLAIMER:

- I have written this mostly for the background of my roleplaying account mothergothell (if you are curious search me on tumblr!).

- This _does not _excuse behavior, it only explains. We all know and agree that what Gothel did to Rapunzel was terrible and should not be forgiven.

* * *

><p><strong>Becoming Evil<strong>

_A Fanfic by Cam L._

**Chapter Four: The Debt**

She had no idea how long she laid there, staring at the stars, the raindrops blending with her tears until it got to the point where Gothel couldn't tell if she was still crying or if it was just the rain pouring down. Her curls were no longer black and beautiful. Instead, they were so filthy with mud their color was now brown and her waves had disappeared. There was just one time that she allowed herself to look like that. For a small second, a happy memory of her childhood came rushing in. Her mother staring at her hair - which was as messy as her current state - and being so angry with her for playing in the dirt. Back then, she just laughed and replied that it didn't bother her.

Her mind slipped back to reality, where she hated the mud. It felt almost like a quicksand, her body slowly sinking in, the slob sticking to every part of her body that was exposed. She imagined she'd be swallowed by it if she stayed there for long. With that thought in mind, Gothel tried to get up. However, her legs were so sore she couldn't even move them and, when she made an effort to look down, she only saw red. After that she collapsed. If it was because of the blood or because of her fatigue, she didn't know.

Hours of memories and nightmares passed. _Is this what you see when you're dying?_ She silently asked. Gothel had heard stories about seeing your whole life before your heart truly stopped. However… If it was supposed to be just her life, why was she seeing her worst nightmares as well? She barely felt the grass and the wind anymore. _Maybe I am dying. _Her senses were weak and, when she embraced the fact that it was the end of her existence, she closed her eyes.

From there on, Gothel only remembered glimpses, brief scenes of what truly happened. On her memories, she was just a dead body lying in the woods, darkness eating her, all her senses beginning to stop. She opened her eyes and noticed the Earth was moving, the rain having stopped. Asking herself why everything was in movement, she used the little bit of strength she had left to look up, seeing a cloaked figure, whom the girl assumed to be Wolf, dragging her body away to bury it.

By the time her senses had returned, Gothel felt something soft beneath her. With a light shining on her face, she was forced to wake up, realizing then she was laying on a bed. Looking around, she took in everything around her. A small window where the sun was… rising? Setting? How long was she asleep? Hours? Days? She turned to her left and saw a big, old, wooden closet, which smelled musty. A few steps to its left was located a door, half eaten by termites. It was only when she saw the dislocated floor board on the corner of the room that she recognized where she was.

It was her room at Madam Weber's cabin.

Gothel started to panic, having the immediate desire to run. She'd stolen all the jewelry the Madam had, and now she was back at the crime scene, empty handed. Back where she discovered that her past had found her. Where she first saw the wanted poster.

The fifteen tried to get up, though her legs refused to move. All her attempts failed, resulting on her falling to the hard ground, followed by a muffled sound.

_Please don't come up, please don't come up, please don't come up. _She prayed to whoever was listening. Of course, it didn't work. Ruth Weber came rushing in, a surprisingly worried look on her old features before going back to her usual arrogant face. Was she younger? Gothel had that question stuck on her throat as she stared at the not so ancient woman standing on the doorway.

"Oh… You're awake."

If someone peeked from the window, that person would laugh at the scene. Half of her legs still on the bed, the rest of her body on the floor, Gothel just kept staring her, not moving one inch.

"What did you do to my legs?" She inquired, thinking that there was no other way to start the conversation.

"They were broken. You needed my assistance." The old woman came closer, her arms open, ready to put her back on the bed.

Gothel was trying her best not to show how shocked she truly was to know that, however she couldn't ignore the new information on what happened the past night. Wolf… Broke her legs? When? Her body must've been so numb when he had her that she couldn't feel nor hear her bones starting to crack.

"I never asked for it." She crawled, the other half of her body finally dropping from the mattress. "Now, could you make me walk again or will I have to crawl my way out?"

Madam Weber rolled her eyes and forced the girl to turn her side, her somewhat cold hands causing Gothel to flinch at her touch. "A simple thank you would be nice, darling." The white haired gently placed her hands over each leg and mumbled: "_Sana quod est sáucium_." A small warm light then followed, coming out of the gap between the woman's palms and the lower part of her legs.

Gothel's eyes widened as she watched. Somehow, she had recognized the sentence. It was just like the one her mother used to say whenever healing a patient. Ruth must've noticed her reaction and gave a small smirk before speaking again.

"You thought you were the only witch alive, dear?"

"Witch? I'm not a wi-" She stopped mid-sentence, realizing what she meant. The girl was finally connecting the dots. The dark room, the constant walks, the herbs she required… It all made sense. Not just for Ruth Weber, but also for her mother, Catharina. The attack on their house, the fire, the weird language, the desire to use magic legally, the always healed patients, the fear her father had, the discretion and the refuse to serve another realm.

Gothel stumbled back, her formerly injured legs finally moving, being as good as if they were never broken. She crouched on the same corner where she had hidden her book, looking at her cut hands - why they had cuts, she couldn't remember - . Did she have magic in her as well? Was it inside her all that time?

Ruth, who at first had been curiously watching her reaction, came closer, confusion taking its place in her light eyes.

"You... are a witch. Aren't you?"

"I- I don't know." Was magic something inherited when born? Was it passed over generations and would it stay in her blood line forever?

Ruth said nothing for a long time, thinking. Gothel imagined what was it. Those bright, almost white, eyes kept looking at her, head to toe, which brought the girl's attention to what she was wearing. Quickly moving her head down, she noticed she was with the same dress of that horrible night. Muddy and filled with blood, it had a few holes on its sides and on her upper body. She couldn't tell which ones were caused by the trees when she was running away, which were caused by Wolf and which existed thanks to Madam Weber dragging her out of the dark forest. Suddenly all she wanted was a shower and new clothes. Gothel's deepest desire at that point was to wash out everything that reminded her of what had happened.

Pulling her out of her reverie, Ruth spoke.

"No... You aren't."

"What?" Gothel was still thinking about her bath, losing the track of what they had been talking about.

"You aren't a witch, darling. You'd know if you were."

"You mean... I don't have any magic?"

"I did not say that..." She came closer, kneeling in front of her. "You do have magic in you... I can feel that. But you are not a witch."

Gothel honestly didn't know the difference, though she didn't want to ask either. She was happy with just keeping the Madam's curiosity high enough to avoid being killed for stealing.

"I could help you." Ruth began. "I could train you to use your whole capacity. It won't be much, since you don't have enough power to actually learn many spells. However, a few enchantments, potions and alchemy... Yes..." Suddenly, it seemed she was talking to herself, and Gothel was no longer in the room.

"Why would you think I'd want that? What has magic done for me?" Besides killing her mother, making her being chased - twice - and raping her, magic was only good to her when she read fairytales at a young age.

"Because you have a debt to pay, darling. You did steal most of my jewels, and I did save your life."

"Why would you need me? You just said I'm not a witch."

"No." She agreed. "But you're young. And youth is the one thing I need the most."

* * *

><p>Fun fact: "<em>Sana quod est sáucium<em>" is "_Heal what has been hurt_" in Latin.

So far we've only seen Gothel get her ass kicked. From this moment on she will kick some ass too!

Also (writer rambling over here, don't read if you don't want to) I know it's short and for us there wasn't all that mystery shit of Ruth being a witch (which makes my chapter suck). Buuut, like I said, this isn't the original one. The original had way more content. This is what I call "transition" chapter. It's simple, and it doesn't have much, but it's needed for the next ones. Anti-climatic but for a good reason. I'm making a promise the next will be as good as the prologue and chapters 1 and 3. I just don't want to rush things, and because I'll have to do the time jump I'd probably end up with only 5 chapters if I wrote 5000 words each. So yeah, less for more?

Anyways, I'll post the next one within two weeks. It's almost finished so it'll be faster.

© _Cam L._

_This story can only be posted on other websites with Cam's permission. Gothel and all Tangled characters are owned by Disney. All original characters belong to Cam L._


	6. Chapter Five: Dear

And we are back! Last chapter I promised two things: first was that this would be out before two weeks (you can see how I can't promise these things, oh well, I'm sorry) and the second was that this one was way more exciting than the last one. I think it's true. In my opinion, this is one of my favorites so far. And I tend to not pick favorites when writing. So yeah, enjoy!

DISCLAIMER:

- I have written this mostly for the background of my roleplaying account mothergothell (if you are curious search me on tumblr!).

- This _does not _excuse behavior, it only explains. We all know and agree that what Gothel did to Rapunzel was terrible and should not be forgiven.

* * *

><p><strong>Becoming Evil<strong>

_A Fanfic by Cam L._

**Chapter Five: _Dear_**

"It's wrong! Do it again! And try not to waste my time."

Madam Weber left the room, furiously throwing the potion Gothel had been trying so hard to craft for the fourth time on the ground, glass scattering all over the floor. In fact, since the day she was rescued, there hadn't been one minute in which the now seventeen year old struggled to do whatever the Madam asked. And, because of her constant failures, the old woman was getting even more impatient and rigid with her.

With a big sigh, Gothel carefully went to the broom closet, trying not to step on glass, and took out her old friend. While she cleaned up the mess, she wished she could light some more candles just to make sure all the glass was swept off the room, but the Madam wouldn't allow her to. According to her, the less light the longer the potions would last – which answered the girl's question to why the witch's room was so dark when she first entered it – though she did think a bit of light wouldn't kill anyone. Not even Ruth.

Sure, there must have some sort of light inside the witch, but during those two years, all Gothel knew was darkness, boiling liquids and fatigue. She felt bad to… Well, feel bad. Madam Weber saved her life, and if it wasn't for the old woman she would probably be dead and rooting. She should be grateful and do exactly what the woman told her to. And she was, she had an enormous gratitude towards Ruth, and she tried her best to do everything she was requested. But… That wasn't the life Gothel imagined for herself.

Her child self imagined a life of adventures in far off land, just like the stories she constantly read about. The fifteen year old Gothel just wanted to escape her past and live a life alongside her so called true love – that in the end wasn't love, and definitely wasn't true. Either way she never pictured a future in which she worked for an old lady who mistreated her daily. Even her compliments went sideways.

One time, few months after being rescued, Gothel had confronted the woman when she said a misleading compliment to her. All that Weber said in response was that she did so to make her strong. To prepare her to the cruel world that was outside. Not all compliments are meant, just like not all love is true. Her words still echoed inside her head when she laid at night.

After finishing catching all the broken glass, Gothel was about to throw it out of the window when the witch entered, scaring her when she spoke.

"I thought I told you to do the potion again."

"I'm sorry, Madam. I was jus-"

"No excuses! You could've left the glass on the ground and kept working. I don't care if you cut yourself with it. Just. Work."

"If you need this potion so much then why don't you make it yourself?" Gothel threw the shattered pieces out of the window, like she first intended to, and closed it as fast as she could, turning herself completely to the Madam, staring at her.

"I can't." Were the only words she spoke before she turned around and left. It was always the same thing. Weber would ask her several times to finish the potion and, whenever Gothel thought she was finally right, the old one would say she was wrong. Why she couldn't do it herself, she didn't know. Gothel imagined it was because of her age, and since crafting took so much energy – even from a young person – the Madam didn't want to risk draining out all the strength she had left.

The other main question was why she needed the potion so much. Sure, Gothel had a lot to learn after her recently discovered magic, but why keep wasting time with potions. Alchemy involved more than that, right?

Sure, the woman also taught her how to defend herself with some basic techniques, but what she really loved was when the Madam taught her how to use a dagger. Gothel felt so… Powerful with the weapon in her hands. It wasn't heavy, and few would notice if she didn't hide it correctly. It was a woman's blade. One that could easily be sneaked and kill as fast as a sword.

Gothel didn't want to demand many things, but she wished she could learn more things with the dagger. She hated to confront the Madam about things, though after a while she got sick of waiting. Therefore, she spoke up again.

"Why do you need this potion so badly?"

Madam Weber stopped mid-walk, turning her face just enough for Gothel to see its side.

"Time will come and I will tell you."

"No. I'm tired of waiting. You said you need me for my youth, right? What if I told you I'd only work for you again after you spoke the whole truth?"

The woman sighed and walked towards the kitchen, Gothel following right behind. Weber sat down on the closest chair and looked up, her ancient and tired eyes staring at the girl.

"Have you ever heard of the Sun Flower?"

Gothel's eyes widened in surprise. It had been a very long time since she last heard those words. Of course she did. It was the thing that got her mother killed and put her on the run. It was what brought her to that cottage. She focused on what the woman was saying, pretending her expression was only curiosity and not knowledge.

"What about it?"

"Well… Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens, and from this single drop of sun bloomed a beautiful golden flower. It possessed the ability to heal any sickness or injuries, even mortal wounds and delay aging, and all the person had to do was sing an enchantment."

Gothel knew that story by heart, however to listen to someone telling it brought back many memories that should make her happy, though they did the very opposite.

"I need the potion…" Madam Weber continued. "… because I need to find this flower. It's a-"

"A location spell." Gothel finished the sentence, realizing what it meant. Her whole life her mother searched for that blossom. It cost her father's and her mother's life, and her own virginity. All of that could end with just one simple potion.

"Indeed. I will not live for long if I don't find the flower, dear. Now you see why I have been so strict with you."

Her mind was focusing only on the search that she only noticed that Weber intended to use it on herself when she said so.

"Yes. I'll… get back to work now." She ran to the dark room, closing the door behind her.

While Gothel got the materials all over again, her head was spinning. What would happen to her when Ruth found the flower? She wouldn't need youth anymore, so would she kill her? And did Gothel want to share the flower? It was her mother's life project, the one thing she wanted the most. In fact, did Gothel actually want to find the blossom? Look what it did to her when it was something impossible and fictional. Now that it was real… She imagined it could do a lot worse to her.

Either way, she kept on working without a break. Even when the Madam knocked on the door, telling her dinner was ready, she ignored and just kept on going. She had to get it right that time, and after she'd decide what to do with the result.

Almost twenty-four hours, two badly crafted potions, and one unespected nap later, Gothel thought she had finally done it. She finally got it right.

As Madam Weber inspected the liquid, Gothel was once again asking herself what to do. It was only when the old woman didn't throw her work on the ground that she got back to reality, wondering what could have happened.

"I believe you got it, dear."

With that said, she forgot all her worries, and pride took over. She just wanted to test it, and then run to the location it pointed at, proving herself she was right. That was all she wanted right then.

"Shall we test it?"

"Yes. What do we need?"

Following Madam Weber's orders, she grabbed a deep and big bowl, a few distinct plants, each different in color – green, red, blue, pink, white and yellow – and put them over the crafting table, now empty. Next, the witch took the green, the red, the blue and the pink blossoms and put them as a compass, north, east, south, west respectively. Then she took one petal from the white and one from the yellow flower and laid them on different corners of the bowl.

"Are you ready?" She asked, the potion already in hands.

"Yes."

The witch then carefully and slowly poured the liquid in the object, its purple color contrasting with the brown from the bowl. As the potion touched the white petal, it began to form a path in the direction of the yellow one. Gothel couldn't believe her eyes as she saw the liquid stay contained, not spreading like the water would.

"Quick, get me something to write on."

Gothel ran as fast as she could around the room, trying to find a piece of paper, feather and ink already being on the table. The one she found was her wanted poster from two years ago. Without stopping to reflect about it, she drew the map the spell showed to them on the other side as fast as she could. A few seconds after she had finished, the purple liquid finally spread, turning their path into a normal bowl with floating plants.

They stared at the object for a very long time, both breathing heavily, somewhat not believing in what just happened, until Weber turned to her.

"Did you get everything?"

"Yes." She didn't turn her eyes away from the bowl, nor did she let go of the piece of paper.

"Well… Give it to me dear. Let's see where it lead us."

She raised her eyes, now looking at the Madam's expression. The woman had a stretched out arm and was getting impatient. That only made Gothel hold on tighter to the map.

"What will happen to me when you find it?" She inquired.

"What will ha—What kind of question is this?"

"You'll kill me, right? I know it."

"Stop with this madness, dear, I won't do yo-"

"Do me any harm? Yeah, I heard that before."

Gothel really wanted to trust Ruth. And even if she did, would she truly want to see that old woman have her flower? Her precious flower? The one her mother died for?

No. She wouldn't. Gothel would be the one to find the Sun Flower. It was her right. She deserved it more than anyone. No one else but her would have it.

"Come on dear, give it to me."

Weber took a step closer, making her retreat and hit the big wardrobe. If this happened two years ago, Gothel wouldn't know where anything was inside the crafting room. However, she basically lived there for that long. So she knew that the drawer touching her back was the one which the Madam stored her daggers.

She put her hand behind her, pretending she was hiding the map when in fact she was opening the drawer and grabbing the first blade she could find.

"That's it."

Ruth moved faster, and so did her hand. Gothel pressed the blade deep inside the old woman's heart, twisting it just in case, blood dripping on her hand. The expression the Madam gave her translated to one simple question: why.

"You taught me well. I guess I'm ready for the outside world now, _dear._" She said before dropping the Madam's body to the ground.

* * *

><p>Wooooooooo we got our very first <em>dear <em>coming from Gothel. Also, you can see her getting more selfish and self centered in this chapter when she decided that even if she trusted Ruth she still wouldn't want to see the flower in her hands.

Also I hope you liked the spell part because I did it without one single research (yay me).

Please leave a review, I really want to know what I need to get better at and what I'm getting right. Plus, it's nice to see that people still read this.

© _Cam L._

_This story can only be posted on other websites with Cam's permission. Gothel and all Tangled characters are owned by Disney. All original characters belong to Cam L._


	7. Chapter Six: Beginning of the End

Put your flags up in the sky, and wave them side to side, show the world where you're from, show the world we are one!

Yooooo Brazil!

Hello everyone and I'm sorry for the loooong delay. I was busy with college stuff and then world cup got in the way of everything so yeah. But now that my team lost I finally had some time to finish this chapter. I hope the wait was worth it. At least now Gothel has the map that will lead her to the sunflower. Anyways, you know the drill:

DISCLAIMER:

- I have written this mostly for the background of my roleplaying account mothergothell (if you are curious search me on tumblr!).

- This _does not _excuse behavior, it only explains. We all know and agree that what Gothel did to Rapunzel was terrible and should not be forgiven.

* * *

><p><strong>Becoming Evil<strong>

_A Fanfic by Cam L._

**Chapter Six: Beginning of the End**

Before she left Weber's cottage, Gothel went back to her room in order to gather her things. The seventeen year old was still in shock, holding tight the dripping dagger. She couldn't believe she had just killed the one who saved her life, the one who gave her a home.

Gothel shook her head and dropped the blade on the ground, leaving a small blood puddle, trying to forget all of that. It was for a good reason. It was obvious that the Madam was going to kill her as soon as she was no longer necessary. Besides, the Sun Flower should belong to no one else but Gothel. She was the one who suffered the most because of it. Now she would be the one to have it.

She took the old bag her mother gave her years ago for another escape. There, she put only the essentials: food, gold, a canteen of water, few healing herbs… Gothel looked around, checking if there was nothing left. Without realizing, her eyes stopped on the corner where she had hidden her fairytales book for years. She walked towards it, getting on her knees and lifting the loose wooden board. The book was musty, and apparently the insects ate parts of it.

Gothel held it in her hands, wondering which fairytales were also true. She leafed through it, only stopping when the page in which an illustration of the beautiful, golden flower came up. She stared at it for a moment, her hand stroking the drawing.

At the time her fingers reached the end of the page, Gothel closed her hand and with one fast move pulled it out. She folded it and put inside the bag, along with the map drawn behind her old wanted poster.

She looked behind her to the bloody dagger, wondering how many more would die by her own hands before she even got to the flower. She wasn't a killer. Gothel never wanted to end anyone's life. However, now it was too late to go back.

The seventeen year old put on her dark cloak and was ready to leave her innocent life, but before she took the blade from the floor and put it in her boots.

* * *

><p>During the first nights of her new life, Gothel slept outside. The map never showed what she would find. It was just a bunch of lines, and the only reason why Gothel understood it was thanks to the compass drawn on the side of the map. She never knew where it was going to lead her, however she trusted in it with her life.<p>

It was only after a couple of weeks that she found a small village. Gothel was never so happy to see civilization. People meant inns, and inns meant a good night of sleep without bugs, animals and rain.

She found one deep inside the town, next to the market place. Its name was The False Pony, and people inside were being loud. As Gothel walked in, she spotted what she thought it was a town guard. There was also a bard playing terribly – she imagined he was drunk – and more intoxicated men.

Looking around she only spotted two women: the barkeeper and a whore half-naked on top of the strongest man of the place.

With her cloak up, she quietly approached the barkeeper.

"Excuse me… I'd like to get a room."

"Sorry kid, we're full." The woman replied. Gothel imagined she was around her thirties.

"Please, I can pay more than the regular price." She kept her voice low, trying not to attract much attention.

Apparently, the barkeeper didn't have the same intentions as Gothel.

"Look. I don't know where you came from and I have no clue what's your deal with the whole cloak thing kid, but if you think you can come in here and take one of my loyal men's room just 'cause you can pay more you are very wrong." She practically screamed, making the entire inn – with the exception of the man and the whore – turn around to look at her. Even the bard stopped playing.

"I—I'm sorry… I will leave now." She was going to walk towards the door when one of the drunk men grabbed her cloak, taking it off. He was tall and strong, but not as scary as Bull and Wolf once were. He had soft features, and somehow reminded her of Bran, the knight that died because of her.

"Now look what we have here." His breath could be smelled from the other side of the room. "Another lady, gentlemen!" With that said, many shouted 'hooray!'

Gothel didn't know what to do but stare at him. He was handsome in a way, but his breath and speech made him look like the ugliest person in the world. She crossed her arms, waiting to have her cloak returned to her. He was waving it like a victory flag, something she did not like at all.

"Well… She must get the lady's treatment, don't y'all think?" Another collective shout in agreement followed.

"Uh, no thanks, dear." Gothel finally spoke up. "If you could only return my cloak I will gladly walk away and not get the _lady's treatment_."

With that said, everyone in the inn laughed. Even the town guard.

"What's so funny?" She asked directly to the man holding her cloak, that was wiping tears of laughter from his face.

"Look, you won't find any other inns in town girl. It's either our way or sleep on the street."

Gothel looked towards the barkeeper. The woman gave her a solidary look, as if she had been through the 'lady's treatment' before.

"_Fine. _What is this treatment, dear?"

"Well, you got to sleep with one of us. Simple and fast."

"It will be alright." The whore finally spoke. "You're a beautiful girl, with a beautiful body. You won't be a leftover."

Gothel didn't know what to do. She never used her body to get what she wanted. To think some considered her beautiful was… Odd. She didn't imagined some saw her that way… Especially after what Felix did to her…

"You need to take advantage of what you have." The whore said after she noticed Gothel's dilemma.

Barely had she known that sentence was going to be one of many that she would repeat to herself constantly.

* * *

><p>Three years, one third of the map and many inns later, Gothel found herself waking up next to another stranger. She got up, dressed herself and stole a bit of his money – usual procedure.<p>

It wasn't even dawn yet, just the way she liked it. This time, she was on The Somber Hero, an inn close to the road she had been taking. Gothel knew the map was going to lead her back to the woods one day, so she tried her best to seize every opportunity she had to stay out of them.

The now twenty year old searched around the room, looking for clothes that would fit her. She had been wearing the same old dress for a long time now, and it was clearly too small for her. She not only had grown in height, but also her breasts were bigger. It was beneficial, however most of the times it only annoyed her.

As usual, she only found dust and one male shirt, nothing she could take advantage of. Gothel sighed, asking herself if one day she would get naked because she couldn't find a proper dress.

The young woman left the room and the asleep stranger. He was going to wake up and have no idea what happened the night before, wondering where all his money went. He would probably blame one of his 'best friends'. And Gothel would be long gone by then.

She walked downstairs, giving a soft smile to the innkeeper: a pale and short man, without muscles or even fat. He was just bones and skin.

Ned, the innkeeper, brought her a cold version of last night's special. As she ate, Gothel noticed she wasn't alone in the room. With the side of her eye, she spotted a round figure sitting on a corner. The figure turned around, revealing itself a woman. They stared at each other, the blonde-haired woman's expression changing as time passed.

"Gothel?" She asked.

The twenty year old didn't know what to do. Her past caught her up once again. Only this time she was more experienced. She swallowed her fear and pulled her dagger from her boots.

"How do you know who I am?"

"Don't you recognize me?" The woman opened a big smile, golden hues looking directly at her eyes. "It's been what? Seven years?"

That smile… That voice… Those eyes… A memory of a much happier time came rushing in.

"Ma—Madge?"

* * *

><p>Cliffhanger, as usual. I really wanted to bring back Madge. She was such a sweet character and she will be the personification of Gothel's good side trying to resurface as she only drowns more and more in the darkness that is her life. It's going to be interesting to have that debate of good vs evil outside of Gothel's mind.<p>

Anyways, I hope I won't take too long next time, but if I do don't worry: I won't abandon this fic.

Leave a review if you liked it or even if you didn't. I could use some improvement!

© _Cam L._

_This story can only be posted on other websites with Cam's permission. Gothel and all Tangled characters are owned by Disney. All original characters belong to Cam L._


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